GTSOU employees received congratulations on their professional holiday – Oil and Gas Industry Workers’ Day. Friends of Gas TSO of Ukraine from the Ministry of Energy, NEURC, as well as deputies of the Ukrainian parliament, said many nice words about our work.
German Galushchenko, Minister of Energy of Ukraine, thanked gas industry workers for their daily hard work on the country’s energy front in the conditions of a full-scale war against Russia: “Today, the first front line is our AFU. And Ukrainian energy workers give a helping hand to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, doing their important work on the energy front and creating the prerequisites for the soonest victory in this war. “
“The last six months had shown us all the complexity of the work of GTS workers when there was no gas due to hostilities when facilities critical for gas transportation had been destroyed. We have realized how important it is for all services of GTSOU to work qualitatively, professionally, bravely, and heroically. I thank you for your work. After the victory, we will need to restore networks and rebuild infrastructure. The country needs you very much!” congratulated Andrii Herus, People’s Deputy of Ukraine, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Energy, Housing and Utilities Services.
“Your company has an impeccable reputation as a reliable gas transit company both in Ukraine and Europe. Under any conditions, we supply vitally needed resources to consumers. Our respect to you!” said Serhii Nahorniak, People’s Deputy of Ukraine.
“Your well-coordinated work, timely and professional decisions determine whether the gas storage facilities will be filled during the heating season or the country is supplied with gas in full. No less important in your work is the international and environmental component. You do not forget about plans for decarbonization and reduction of emissions. The technical solutions you offer are impressive in these tough times. I appreciate the professionalism of your team,” said Kostiantyn Ushchapovskyi, Head of the NEURC.
We are grateful for the high appreciation of our work; we are proud that we work for Ukraine, for its independence, and the future. The most important thing now is to hold the energy front together and support the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Over the past six months, each of us has proven to be a responsible, balanced, reliable fighter on the humanitarian front, and 42 employees of GTSOU received honorary awards from the Ministry of Energy for personal courage, heroic deeds, and selfless actions while performing their professional duties.
These are the employees of the Mykolaiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Boiarka, Kramatorsk, and Zaporizhzhia Main Gas Pipelines Linear Production Divisions of (MPLPD). There are two ladies among them – Uliana Yarosh, gas transportation dispatcher at Mykolaiv MPLPD, and Svitlana Shyriaieva, electrochemical protection engineer at Sumy MPLPD.
Uliana Yarosh repeatedly appeared under enemy fire while at her workplace but never left the control room. She made timely regime switching on the main gas pipeline, “Marivka-Kherson,” ensuring reliable gas supply to the region. Svitlana Shyriaieva had been working without days off under challenging conditions of warfare in the Sumy region. She is one of those who actively organized the evacuation of the employees’ families of Sumy MPLPD and, under an absolute siege of the city, was engaged in supplying vital medicines and food to those who needed it the most.
And Alla Zhukovska, our other colleague, the operator of the gas distribution station at Mykolaiv MPLPD, was awarded the Order For Courage of the 3rd grade by the Decree of the President of Ukraine. Risking her life under constant shelling, she, with dispatchers’ assistance, single-handedly shut down the GDS in the village Horokhivka to localize the accident and prevent danger to people. Without electricity and proper conditions, Alla Zhukovska remained in the station storage facility to continue performing her professional duties.
“I would like to thank Mr. Minister, the management team, for not forgetting about the employees. Please, Mr. Minister, do not forget about us and support our GTS. We are the only one of such kind in the whole of Ukraine. Please bring us closer to peace, and we will continue to help as best we can – the entire Gas TSO team – despite the rockets and shelling for our country to have gas and heating. We can do it all,” said Alla Zhukovska during a video call.
“Our mission remains unchanged – continuous gas supply to every Ukrainian home. The challenges are extremely complex: the safety of our employees and assets, possible stopping of transit, and russia’s blackmailing. But I am sure that we will cope. Today, our common task is to get through the winter. GTS infrastructure is already prepared; we are helping the soldiers to be prepared. The employees working under shelling are our heroes. Every one who, despite the risks, takes care of the supply of gas to Ukrainians in this difficult for the country period is our hero,” noted Sergiy Makogon, CEO of GTSOU.
Our employees in the frontline regions took the first insidious blow from russia during the large-scale invasion. In these extreme conditions, when bombs explode, rockets fall, people die, buildings collapse, and residents of cities and towns evacuate, our heroes remained at their workplaces to repair damaged gas pipelines, keep in touch with colleagues at remote sites, switch the system, and maintain gas supply. These people persevered amid danger, confusion, despair, and complete obscurity.
They managed to maintain our GTS because of their faith in our soldiers and Ukraine.